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New Delhi: When Virat Kohli comes out to bat at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, he will be stepping onto a familiar turf, but with a rare and unfamiliar feeling.
Kohli's return to international cricket after a gap of six months came to an anti-climactic end in the first ODI between India and Australia when the superstar batter, who has enjoyed plenty of success Down Under, was dismissed for a duck for the first time on Australian shores.
His short stay at the crease has left the fans wanting more, and there is no better chance to see Kohli rediscover his best form than at the Adelaide Oval.
Kohli's love affair with Adelaide started back in 2012, during his maiden tour of Australia. The Delhi dasher, who has toned down his aggression dramatically since the 2011-12 tour Down Under, announced himself to the Aussie audience with a sensational knock of 116 in the fourth Test.
While the rest of the Indian batting line-up struggled against the fearsome Australian bowling attack, Kohli took the attack to the Aussies and forced the fans and pundits to take notice.
It was the start of a dream run for Kohli at the Adelaide Oval. Between 2014 and 2015, Kohli went on a rampage in Adelaide - notching up scores of 115, 141, 107, and 90 not out across formats. Not even the best in the business were able to stop the Kohli juggernaut.
Adelaide Oval is Kohli's most favoured venue in the world across formats. The former India captain has scored five international hundreds, 4 fifties, and 975 runs at an average of close to 65 at this venue. Of those five centuries, three have come in Tests and two in ODIs.
In fact, Kohli has outscored several Australian icons in Adelaide with his aggregate of 975, more than the likes of Steve Smith, Greg Chappell and Adam Gilchrist, among others. The "King of Adelaide", who is the highest non-Australian scorer at this venue, will become the first visiting batter to score a thousand runs if he scores 25 or more runs on Thursday.
Kohli's recent ODI form in Adelaide also proves why it is the best possible venue for him to get back amongst the runs. He has amassed two centuries in his last two ODIs here, including the famous knock against Pakistan in the 2015 World Cup.
With a stellar ODI record, Kohli has already etched his name in golden words in the history books, but even that is not enough to save him from the constant scrutiny about his career and future. That's why India's talisman must use his favourite stage to conjure his white-ball magic to remind the cricketing world of his prowess and consolidate his spot in the team's plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
